Man arrested for bomb joke at Manila's Rizal Park

A construction worker was arrested in Manila after telling a security guard his bag contained a bomb, causing alarm at Rizal Park, though the bag only held clothes. Gerald Ilagan, 35, made the statement to guard Richard Timbal at the park's Aguinaldo entrance at around 7:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2. A second guard checked the bag and found no explosives, only garments. Ilagan faces a complaint under Presidential Decree 1727, the Anti-Bomb Joke Law. The case is being prepared for inquest proceedings before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.